World App adds encrypted chat, virtual accounts and support for more than 100 crypto assets, combining verified identity with global payments in one ‘super app’.
Summary
- World App now supports encrypted chat where verified people appear as blue bubbles, improving privacy and anti-bot protection
- New virtual accounts allow users to receive salaries or bank transfers and convert money in-app to USDC and other supported tokens
- The upgrade adds in-chat crypto payments, swaps on more than 100 assets including WLD, WBTC, ETH and tokenized gold, plus a wider range of merchants.
World, the biometric identity verification project led by Sam Altman, has released an updated version of its application with encrypted chat services and integrated cryptocurrency payment options, the company announced Thursday.
World app upgrade
The upgrade will allow users to send, deposit and withdraw cryptocurrency within the World Wallet and virtual accounts, similar to the payment platform Venmo, the announcement said. The new application supports USDC, EURC and wrapped Bitcoin and Ethereum, along with over 100 additional cryptocurrency tokens.
World formally launched its application in 2023, stating at the time that its mission was to provide tools for verifying human identity amid the increasing opportunities for AI manipulation.
The app upgrade was unveiled Thursday at World’s headquarters in San Francisco, where Altman and World co-founder and CEO Alex Blania presented the innovations. The development team described the new upgrade as a “super app” before the product team outlined its features.
According to a report from Mezha, Altman states that identifying unique individuals while maintaining privacy poses significant challenges.
The chat feature displays blue message bubbles for verified people and gray bubbles for unverified users to ensure conversation privacy. Profile photos are verified against Orb images stored on users’ devices.
In May, World launched its iris scanning project for US customers. The process requires users to scan their face and iris for approximately 30 seconds, creating a unique IrisCode to verify their identity.
The World app previously functioned as a digital wallet, with the new version introducing virtual bank accounts. Users can now receive salary payments directly in the World App and make deposits from bank accounts, after which funds can be converted into cryptocurrency, the report said.
The platform supports swaps and transactions in more than 100 assets, including native tokens from World Chain and real-world asset tokens such as tokenized gold, the company said.
The updated application reflects the company’s strategy to expand partnerships and develop a more integrated ecosystem focused on facilitating the use of cryptocurrency, the statement said.
